Edin Dzeko is making quite a habit of coming on as a substitute and baling Manchester City out time and again. In a rather cagey game, the English Premier League champions just about found a way past Tottenham Hotspur, coming from a goal down to score a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
Steven Caulker had opened the scoring for the away side in the 21st minute, but wonderfully taken second half goals from Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko handed City all three points and helped them stay just two points behind league leaders and neighbors Manchester United.
The first half was hardly one for he books, with play constantly being stopped and chances coming very much at a premium. Spurs pretty much had just 2-3 chances in the entire game, in a rather flat performance, but will still feel a little unlucky not to come away with at least a point.
While City had the lion's share of the possession, in the opening 45 minutes, it was Spurs who went into the break with a 1-0 lead. Tom Huddlestone swung in a freekick from the right, which was headed powerfully by Caulker, with the ball hitting Hart's chest and squirming in -- the England goalkeeper will feel he should have done better.
City had a penalty shout in the first period, when Aguero's turn and shot stuck Gallas's arm, but referee Michael Oliver, who kept a pretty good check on the game, waved play on, much to the frustration of the home side.
The home side needed to come out in the second half with more purpose, and they did. Aguero had a glorious opportunity early on in the second period to equalize, but the Argentine surprisingly miscontrolled, after being put through on goal.
A couple of half-chances came and went, and just as the frustration at the Etihad Stadium was growing, the goal came. A pass from Silva, who had a bright game on his return from injury, towards Yaya Toure, took a couple of ricochets, with the ball falling kindly to Aguero in the left side of the box. The striker calmly cut inside onto his left foot, before placing it into the back of the net.
Carlos Tevez then had a cross shot go close, before Gareth Bale, on the periphery for pretty much the entire 90 minutes, stung Hart's hands with a strike at the other end. Tevez was soon after replaced by Roberto Mancini for Edin Dzeko.
Maicon, who came on in the 56th minute to great effect, then played in Silva, but the little Spaniard could not take the ball in his stride, allowing the Spurs defenders to clear. Aguero, soon after, set up Aleksandar Kolarov, whose shot was deflected wide by Gallas.
If any team looked like scoring, it was City, with the home team's pressure finally paying off with a couple of minutes remaining. Dzeko started the move from the right, passing the ball to Silva in the center of the pitch near Tottenham's penalty area, with the playmaker chipping a perfect pass for the striker, who swiveled and smashed the ball into the back of the net with his left foot in the 88th minute.
Spurs never looked like scoring the entire game, and that was not going to change in the final moments as the home side took home what might prove to be a vital three points.
